THERE has been an increase in ghostly goings on at Tavistock Police Station — could it be that spirits are unsettled as officers prepare to vacate the building?

Over the years there have been a few ghostly experiences in the historic station, which includes the old cells and magistrates' court, but officers have been a bit unnerved by the latest sightings.

Sgt Dave Anning said during the early part of December two 'incidents' had been witnessed in the old magistrates' room, the first of which was when all the doors suddenly slammed shut at the same time.

'An explanation could have been wind coming in through open windows blowing the doors shut, but when the windows were all checked none of them were open,' he said.

'Then an area of mist appeared at the top of the stairs and slowly dissipated down the stairs,' he said.

The second incident occurred around 3.30am when an officer was alone in the station, in the same area of the building, when they heard footsteps coming up the corridor.

The officer thought there was someone else in the station but when he looked around there was no-one in the corridor or anywhere else.

'The footsteps were clearly heard walking up the corridor and stopping at the canteen,' said the sergeant.

'It could be as we are moving out of the building there is an increased level of activity and the new owners will have to do something to settle down the spirits.'

Sgt Anning said there was quite a lot written about ghosts and the Duke of Bedford built police station and the Guildhall complex in Tavistock, constructed in 1837.

'There were several people sentenced to death at Tavistock Magistrates' Court and it is said that the ghosts that haunt the old buildings here are the spirits of these people.'

Former Tavistock police officer and now special constable Simon Dell, who has written a number of books about the history of the police station, has also experienced some strange goings on recently.

'The Devon Historic Buildings Trust are going to inherit some real issues with that building,' said Simon.

'I've worked there for 40 years, day and night shifts and I hadn't experienced anything until the last few months. Several officers have individually experienced the same weird things.'

Simon said he has also seen all the doors in the courtroom slam shut when there was no wind and a strange moving mist in the public gallery.

'Having worked in the building since 1975 on and off I'd not experienced anything like that.

'Things have only started happening since we started moving stuff out — the move is clearly having a detrimental effect on whatever is in the building. Many people have died in there.'

Simon said a man called Ziscovan committed suicide in the cells in the 1880s while in custody, whose body is buried in Dolvin Road cemetery. He said the spirits could be any of the people who have died in the building.

'I no longer feel comfortable in the police station. I'll be sad to leave the building but not sad to leave behind all the weird goings on.'

Shaun Blake, co-founder of Devon and Cornwall-based State of Panic Paranormal Investigations, said these kind of incidents were common in older buildings. He said: 'What has been described is quite a popular occurrence especially when moving or disrupting normal behaviour with a building steeped in such history.

'Whether it's paranormal is another question, but a popular belief is that spirits do not like change and all the symptoms of doors slamming, mist etc is possibly their way of letting you know they are not happy.'

The police were due to move out of the building and into their new premises in Abbey Rise this week.

The Devon Historic Buildings Trust will then refurbish it for a use that will benefit the community.